An up escalator malfunctioned at a crowded geek art show in Japan, leaving dozens of people sprawling and trampled in a pile.
More than 20 people were injured when the machine abruptly stopped and reversed direction, according to an AP report.
The failure occurred at a Tokyo Koto Ward center during Wonderfest 2008, a popular annual event featuring ‘garage kits‘ (or sculptures) of Japanese anime, mecha, and sci-fi characters.
The escalator was packed from top to bottom, and its height made it nearly impossible for anyone to jump off. As a result, the falling crowd was thrown to the bottom. There, they met with the crowd coming down from the other side’s escalator. This caused dozens of people to fall in a pile, and a few suffered broken legs.
This isn’t the first time in recent months that escalators malfunctioned abruptly at an event. Last year, escalators at a NY Giants football game lost control and injured a few surprised people.
